Can-soldering machine



cz. STEEN I CAN SOLDERING MACHINE `Fnac: oct. 19423 s sheets-sheet 2 'um im m w v c. STEEN GAN soLDERING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3f ff Carll- M wm www@ C.STEEN CAN SOLDERING MACHINE- Filed 0ct..5, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheef 5 @www a@ Patented @et i4., w24.

,Cant s'risnuy .03S onrceeo, rrmnolrs.

lcarr-s,omarne;ne aracnrnn.

Application filed ,October 4-2?, ,Serial No. ,@Gl.

Be it knownlthat 'I7 CARL' STEEN, Aa citizen of the 1"lhiited States, residing `at"Chicago, in the-county'of Coolrand State Iof illinois, have invented Ia certain new-and useful "Ffmprovement f in Uran-Soldering ll/lachines'7 of whichnthe following a fnll, clear, concise and-exact descriplt,ionj reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming 4a part of this specification. i

invention relates to can soldering machies ,and more particularly to a machine for solderingthe side seamsof square cans.

lit isja purpose to provide new and im provedmeans,forfsoldering the side seams of square `cans,` comprising a p'hnality of soldering irons arranged in a row so that said" soldering irons will successively `act on the seam Lto solder the saine, said soldering irons being preferably ydetachably mounted on .the machine.

fisanoth'er purpose ,of the invention to provide means' for cooling the can at 'the seamfisofas to permit'inverting the same to position so .that fthe seam `diametrfically opposite theone that'hasbee'n soldered can 'be soldered immediately after said 1 seam has'been soldered.

it isa further purpose of the invention to provide means for inverting` said cans to the `second mentioned position.

Itis another purpose of the invention to providenew and improvedmeans for feeding solder to the soldering irons and to .the seamT whereby the cans actuate the feeding mechanism to feed aY predetermined length of solder into position adjacent the seam andgad'jacent the first soldering iron of `the row.

Other objects and advantages of the invention'will appear'as the description of the accompanying drawings proceeds.

"However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not `intend to limit myself to the eXactdetails-shown or describedK5 but `that I intend to include as part of my invention all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art land as would `fall within the scope of the claims.

ln the drawings:

Fig. lis a sideelevation of my improved soldering machine; i

Fig. 12Vis plan view thereof Fig. 2 3 is anv end view looking at the machine from the lright Vhand end in Fig. l;

Fig. d lis a detail plan view of the .SOlClQr feeding rolls; j

'Figqis a ydetail plan view similar to Fig. 4 of the actuating lmeans for said solder feeding device; y i

F ig; 6 is a fragmentary yside elevation rof a portion of the vconveyor and the solder feeding mechanism;

* Fig. 7 is a detail plan View ,of the devices shown in the lower left handA corner of w-U.

Fig. 8 is a side view partly in sectioniof the devices shown in Fig.` 7, taken'substantally on Vthe line 8 8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a face view of the clutch plate used in the solder feeding device; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of `the clutch device taken `on the line l0-10 of Figj.

\ Referring Jin detail to the drawings7V the machine comprises a framework 2Oi which is provided `with guides 21, 22 and 23 for 'liiding the cans 24, said cans 24 being fedjinto the Imachine on a conveyor l`comprising a sprocket chain 25 operating over sprockets 26 and 2'1" at opposite ends the framework, said sprocketV chain being lprovided `with liights or vpusher members 28 which engage with lthe cans l24: to move the same throiigh the machine and operating in 4a guidechafnnel 133.

will be noted from Fig. 3 ythat the framework is provided Iwith a higher anda lower portion and that a seti of 'guides 2l', 22 and 23, similar to the guides 21;.22 and 23, is provided on the lower portion of said framework while the gnidesf2l7 22` and"23 are von the higher portion `of the framework. Asproclret chain 25 is provided for moving the cans 24 along said lower guidewaysand is provided with flights 2S for pushing the cans along said guideways, said conveyor' moving in the opposite direction tothe upper coiiveyor, the said chain 25 operating over the sprockets 2G and 27 Yin 'af similar manner to that in which thefchain 25 operates over the sprockets 26 `and "lheup-- per conveyoris provided with "a Vsprocket 2 9 and thelower conveyor with a sprocket 29 for `holding the lower runs of `the conveyors spaced from the upper inns thereof. The guideways' 23 and 23 are provided with npturned ends y30 and 80 respectively at fthe.

can receiving ends thereof.'

` As will benoted from F igs. l and 3. a Hun containing cup 31 is provided abovie'the jet v ingmember3l operates in asimilar mannerv to an oil` cupl and is providedwith an adf j-usting device 37 thereon for regulatingV the flow yofthe flux through the outlet 36. 'The guideway 23 and the can 24 projects above said guidewayy so# that the upper corneu 32 there'of'will engage'with the' roller 33 having a felt covering34 thereon and swinginglyinounted on the framework by means engagement'ofthe roller'33 with thecan `is ldue solelyv to the action of gravity as lthe can passes under the same.v f

Y After `passing under the*` flux feeding lroller 3,3 the can is moved along under a heating device forheating the seam at the pointwhere'soldering is to take place. rfhe `edges yof the materialare, of course, folded together asis customary at theseam, before I the 'canisfedinto thesoldering machine, in

'.van'yfwell knownmanner. Said heating devicecomprisesa plurality of gas burners 38 each of which throws-,a flame downwardly 36 on thcfseainofthe can, said burners being supplied with gas and compressed air through the pipe 39, the supply being controlled lby "means of the gas vvalve 40 andv compressed lair valve 4l. ,After the 'seam hasfbeen heated the can `passes onwardfunder the plurality-of soldering irons, a piecejof solder being fed to the seam yat theiirst soldering iron. The solder feeding .means is actuated the` cans as they move into engagement with a finger which controls Vthe solder feeding means.

lSaidv finger islocated between 'the heating j means and the soldering irons' in the path of e the ycans and isindicated in Fig. 2 by the numeral 42. Said finger is in the form of a lever pivoted t0 a link 43 at 44 and having a l pin onthe end thereof operatingin a slot `46v inthe framework.

` As will be readil seen from the drawings y e a there are two? lsets of devices, v:one associated with the conveyor comprising the chain 25 andthe other-*associated with the conveyor comprising the chain 25. Said devices are exactly the same yexcept that they are'ar- ,lfanged in reverse order and the same nuj meralszare applied to both sets of devices. *Eachcomprises the flux feeding means, the

v heating means, the'solder feeding means .and i the soldering. means and, in addition, a cool- V ing device after the can passes the soldering means.r The details'of the solder feeding mechanism are shown as they would appear inthe lower portionfof Fig. 2 and in the lower portion'of Fig. l. That is, the details vthereof,,as shownin Figs. 4to 10 inclusive,

are arranged in the relationship which they would have when associated with the conveyor 25 which'is the reverse from the relationship shown in the upper portion of Fig. 2 in conjunction with the conveyor 25.

In Fig. 5 a can 24 is shown as engaging with the member 42 and from Fig. 6 it wil be seen that'the member 43 is connected with a bar 47 by means of the link 48, said link 48 being guided by means of the guide bracket 49 and the bar 47 being guided in its movement by means of the guide plate 50. The rear end of the bar 47 is provided with a coil spring 5l anchored to the framework at 52 which tends to pull the bar to the left in Fig. 6. The action of the can 24 is to move the rod 43 to the right in Fig. 6. Thus the spring 51 tends to retract the parts to their `original position after a can has acted on the member 42.

The bar 47 is provided'with a widened portion 53 connected with the lower portion thereofby means of an inclined portion 54, forming a beveled shoulder, and which is provided with a beveled notch 55. A locking pinor bolt 56 is adapted to enter the beveled notch 55. These parts are shown more in detail in Fig. 8. The member 56 is mounted on a slidable plate 57 mounted for sliding movement in the housing 58. It

' will be seen that the plate 57 will be carried with the member 47, due to engagement yof the locking pin 56 in the notch 55 when the member 43 is moved to the right in Figs. 6 and 8. A bracket 59 is provided on the housing 58 and a coil spring 60 extends between said bracket and the plate 57 and surrounds a rod or pin 61 projecting endwise from said plate. The spring 60 will be compressed when the parts are moved to the right in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 and said spring will tend to return the plate 57 to its original position.

Mounted on the shaft 62, which is constantly rotated with the other rotating parts by any suitable driving connection, vis a clutch plate 63. The clutch plate 63 is rovided with a plurality of radially exten ing grooves 64 as shown in Fig. 9. Cof-operating with said clutch plate 63 is a clutch member-65 from rwhich the shaft 66 extends, said shaft having an eccentric 67 mounted thereon to rotate therewith which is provided with a shortshaft or pin 68 proj ecting therefrom eccentric to the shaft 66 to which the driving rod 69 is pivotally connected. It vvillbe seen that when the clutch member 65` is in engagement with the clutch plate 63 and rotated thereby, the action of. the eccentric will reciprocate the driving .rod 69. The opposite end of the driving rodl 69 has the rack bar 7 O guided inthe housing 71 connected therewith. Said rack bar70 has teeth meshing with a pinion 72 on the shaft 73. The shaft 73 is` provided on the end 102 to receive thesolder. The remaining v soldering irons .103v are not grooved' andv are preferably duplicates. It will be noted that said 'solderingl irons are arranged .at an "oblique angle to the direction of movement-` v1of lthegca'n 24and are detachably mounted ontheframework by means of the pins 104 entering thekeyhole slots 105 in said soldering irons, each soldering iron being secured in vplace at'two points spaced longitudinally of saidv irons. The irons, due to the oblique arrangement thereof, have the inclined end v faces` 106 engaging successively with the portion of the can having the seam :which is to be' soldered and thus kact successivelyv to solder the same and provide for more thorough soldering, due tothe fact that they.

. .willye'nter any undulationsinv the material more Ireadily than'if a single large soldering 1 iron were used. Asp-will be evldent-from Fig. 1,'the soldering irons are closely adja# cent each other and each is heated by means of a gas yburner 106 which 1s arranged as` near as'possible to the' soldering iron which f `valves 108 and 109.

it heats andwhich is supplied with gas from the pipe 107 controlled by the gas and air 1nl order to assure that the ,solder is not n, "in va lplastic condition when the can is to be inverted, a blast of cold vairis blown on the seam through the air blast'110 after passing z the soldering irons. After passing said cold air blast member 110, provided along. the

l sis upperrunway, the guide member 23 terminatesandr only the guide members 21' and 22 are provided 'at the extreme left hand end vof the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. It will also .benoted that the chain 25 does ,not eX- tend as Vfar as the" guide members 21 and22 fand, accordingly, the pusher members 28 will only .push the can 24 so far that said pusher members28 can pass by the same andL aroundfthe sprocket 27. As the links carrying said pusher members pass around the j is lmounted .in said slot.

sprocket 27 thepusher members 28 engage -withf'a linger 111'which is mounted on a pivot 112 provided on the downwardly eX- tending vbracket. 113 vwhich forms one varm of a bell crank lever, the other arm-,114 of "whichfis slotted at 115 and a pin 116 on the same tilts the can 24toward the left inv Fig. v3 and causes the same to leave the guide imember 21and drop onto the guideways 119 which leadto the lower runway comprising the guide members 21', 22 and 23.

The guide'ways k119 are preferably zpro vided .with acfa'cing 124, such as leather, to

prevent. scratching thev can, and Vhave an angle member 125 secured thereto which` acts as a.- fulcruln around which the can turns. The can, in moving from the upper to the lower runways, goes 'through a tumbling motion, :first `fulcruming on the corner 126 which causes it to turn one quarter turn and then on the member 125 to cause it to turn the second quarter turn. When the can 24. reaches said lower guide members 21 and 22 the same will be in a position with the corner, which was in engagement, with the guide member 22, upwardly ready to be soldered. The pusher members 28 will then commence the forwardmovement of the cansin the opposite direction to that'along the upper runwa i, or toward the right in Figs. 1 and 2, and the soldering of the second seam will be doney in the same way as described above, the soldering device being identical .with those of the lirst series of devices in the second series and bearing the same numerals.

.The member125 is adjustable, as will be kclear from Figs. 2 and 3, wherein the connection comprising the bolts 127 adjustable in the slots y128 is shown for securing the member 125 to the guideways, the adjustment being provided so that the member 125 will be in the proper positionl to turn over the cans. It will be noted from Fig. 2 that theguideway 2l is cut off and has an upturned end 129v thus preventing interference with the can reaching its proper position on r the lower runway.

The beveled shoulderv54 is provided in order lto positively limit the movementof the member 57 with the bar 47 to the right in Fig. 8, Thus, when the beveled shoulder 54 engages the corner 130 of the housing 58, said shoulder rides along the said corner and forces thebar 47'outwardly away from the 'locking bolt 56, thus disengaging the same therefrom, whereupon .the plate 57 returns to the position shown in Fig. 8 and the bar 47 is free therefrom, said bar returning to normal position after the can has passed the linger 42. v

` yThe solder feeding means is not only adjustable as regards the length of the piece of solder fed to each seam, but also as to the time when feeding commences. This ad justmentis made by adjusting the bolts 132 provided on the link 48 in the slotl 131 in the rod I43, and by adjusting the pin 45 in the slot 46, thus varying the position of the finger 44. If it is desired to throw the solderfeed entirely out of operation the roll 92 is swung on its eccentric on the opposite j side of the dead center from that in which` it is shown inthe drawings, thus spacing the same from the roll 78.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by United States Letters vPatent is:

e 1. In a can soldering machine, a pair of oppositely extending runways, one of said runways being higher than the other thereof, means for moving cans along said runways in opposite directions, soldering irons and air blast cooling devices arranged successively along said runways, and can operated means for transferring said cans from the upper to the lower runway, said means inverting said cans,

In a can soldering machinea pair of oppositely extending runways Jfor supporting cans with a longitudinally extending corner upward, one of said. runways being higher than the other thereof, soldering devices for soldering the seam at said corner, cooling devices adjacent said soldering devices, conveyors for moving said cans along said runways successively into co-operative relation with said soldering devices, said conveyors moving in opposite directions, and means for transferring said cans from the upper to the lower runway and inverting the same with the opposite longitudinally extending corner upward.

3. ln a can soldering machine, a pair of oppositely extending runways for supporting cans with a longitudinally extending corner upward, one of said runways being higher than the other thereof, soldering devices for soldering the seam at said corner, cooling devices adjacent said soldering devices, conveyors for moving said cans along .said runways successively7 into co-operative `relation with said soldering devices, said conveyors moving in opposite directions, and means for transferring said cans Yfrom the upper to the lower runway and inverting the same with the opposite longitudinally extending corner upward, said means comprising a can operated member 'for discharging said cans from Said upper runway and a guideway `for directing the cans onto said lower runway.

ln witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of Sept. A. D., 1923.

CARL STEEN. 

